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Studio Refreshments

Bench

I'm going into my last term of undergrad this January, and while currently on co-op I've had the opportunity to visit the local Arch school, see it, get a feel for it, attend their lecture series, and overall get the student experience of this place thanks to having a close friend from high-school in the program there. While the two schools generally seem to be fairly similar with regards to their studio culture, I did find one big difference: When I had asked to come get a tour of the school with her, I offered to bring over a couple beers to just hang out and talk afterwards about what she liked/disliked about the school (I'm considering applying there for grad) and to catch up in general. She looked at me awkwardly when I asked this and pointed out that they really didn't do that in the studio, but we could go to the campus pub one building over.

I found this very odd, as in my current school it is quite common to keep the emergency 6-pack or bottle of cheap red wine in your locker for those late nights when you don't really want to be there any longer but have to finish a bunch of drawings (or need a bit of liquid courage to get a bit more creative!). When I told her this it sounded completely foreign to her, and she talked about campus security regularly coming through to confiscate any booze in sight and even handing out tickets sometimes. With us, its more of a way to relax and talk with your fellow classmates while still keeping up some productivity. To be honest, I don't know what I would have done on some of those nights!

(Note that it was never a party, it was never got out of control, it never delved into fights/violence and it never became disrespectful to the ones partaking or not partaking. Security generally didn't mind as long as this was the case, and they acted on a "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy; I am absolutely sure it would have been cracked down if it ever became a problem, but it never did).

So I'm kind of curious to hear what other peoples experiences have been at your own studios? Yay or nay to the friendly drink when deemed necessary?

 
Nov 20, 11 1:53 pm
trace™

We drank all the time, undergrad and grad.  Grad even had an in-studio beer machine (old coke machine)!  

I'd be suspicious of anyone that didn't have a few beers in studio now and then.  A pure necessity to get through studio life, imho.  Beer-caffeine-beer-caffeine-beer-caffeine can keep you going for an absurd amount of time (all while thinking you are having "fun")!

Nov 20, 11 2:31 pm  · 
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technophobia

At UCLA (trace, I believe you went there too?) people would drink not just beer, but whiskey, rum, vodka... you name it, we had it and never bothered to hide it. Some of our instructors would criticize/commend our choice of alcohol. The beer machine is gone now, but we have a "happy hour" once a week in the courtyard where they sometimes bring a large keg of homebrewed beer. I admit it does help that our department has a permit to sell alcohol on campus so nobody questions its presence there.

Nov 20, 11 6:09 pm  · 
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mantaray

Completely a part of studio life.  We used to keep our refreshments on the ledges outside the studio windows for maximum chilling during winter.  I can't imagine it getting confiscated / ticketed!  Where was this, Utah?!

Nov 20, 11 6:57 pm  · 
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In undergrad we enjoyed a few beers, somewhat discreetly, during a few late nights.  For the most part if my crowd wanted to drink, we preferred to leave campus and seriously drink.  Ae never really partied in studio, just drank a bit while working.

At grad school we had a stocked beer frig all the time, but my grad school was a bit different from most.  Ae ate dinner in studio almost every night, so drinks with dinner was common, then a beer or two through the evening as work went on.  Of course in grad school everyone is over 21.  We also had lounge night two nights a week, too, when all the disciplines got together in a basement room and danced, played pool, etc.

IMO, if campus cops have a problem with students enjoying a drink or two while sitting at a desk working, they're being willfully ignorant and need get their butts over to where they are needed: the frat parties where roofies and sexual assault are commonplace.

 

Nov 20, 11 7:15 pm  · 
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Lackey

Allegedly it's a "serious offense" in the popo's eyes at our school, but of course everybody drinks / has drank in studio.  But there are always the naive; sounds to me like your friend is one of them.

Nov 20, 11 9:48 pm  · 
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Token AE

This was verboten in the SE/ arch studios in undergrad, without a question. In grad school and in the workplace, however, it is pretty much encouraged.

Nov 20, 11 10:43 pm  · 
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shellarchitect

what school was was this? i want to be sure i never accidentally visit it.

both udm and ltu alternated coffee/booze/red bull

Nov 21, 11 8:28 am  · 
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